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Research Shows Many Americans Unhappy with Health Care System

A new public opinion study suggests that many Americans are dissatisfied with the nation's healthcare system.

The Associated Press and the NORC research group at the University of Chicago released results of their joint¹ investigation² Monday.

Less than half of the people asked for their opinion on U.S. healthcare said they were pleased with the system. Twelve percent, said it operates extremely well.

AP-NORC researchers questioned 1,505 Americans.

The majority expressed worry mainly about mental health care, the cost of medicine and the quality of care at nursing homes. Only six percent of those who answered said the U.S. does a good job at providing such health services.

A. Mark Fendrick runs a research center at the University of Michigan that looks at the cost of healthcare. He said the American system is extremely frustrating³ and that the COVID-19 crisis⁴ had worsened the situation.

Over two years after the global health crisis started affecting hospitals in the U.S., it is hard to find healthcare workers and those who are still working are suffering from what is known as "burnout." That means they are tired from working so much.

Many hospitals and clinics still have COVID-19 restrictions⁵ in place, and some Americans say they are having trouble getting good care in-person as a result.

Emmanuel Obeng-Dankwa of New York City was among those questioned in the study. He has high blood pressure, a condition that requires treatment with medicine. But, the cost is sometimes a problem for Obeng-Dankwa, especially when his housing payment is due.

"If there's no money, I prefer to skip the medication to being homeless," he said.

The new study shows that about 80 percent of people are at least a little bit concerned about getting good care when they need it.

Fifty-three percent of women said they are extremely or very concerned about obtaining quality care, compared to 42 percent of men.

Nearly 60 percent of Black and Hispanic adults said they were concerned about getting good care.

White men expressed the most confidence in U.S. healthcare of all those studied.

Racial disparities have long troubled America's health care system. They have been shown again during COVID-19, with Black and Hispanic people dying from the virus at a higher rate than whites.

While many Americans seem to agree that there are problems with healthcare, very few agree on solutions.

Compared to past years, however, about two-thirds of Americans believe government involvement could help. Some Americans want a fully⁶ public system for health insurance. Others want a mix of public and private health care.

Retired⁷ nurse Pennie Wright, of Camden, Tennessee was among those questioned by AP-NORC. She does not like the idea of a government-run health care system.

She moved to that system, known as Medicare, this year. She said she was surprised by how much she had to pay for her yearly doctor's visit. The amount included $200 for usual testing. Most of those costs had been covered by her former private health care plan.

"I feel like we have the best health care system in the world, we have a choice of where we want to go," Wright said.

Others would still like to see the government do more. For example, they would like to see the government help to pay the costs of helping⁸ people who need long-term care.

They would also like the government to make a plan that would reduce the cost of medicine for everyone.

That small change would help, says New Yorker Obeng-Dankwa. Maybe he would not have to choose between paying for his home and paying for his blood-pressure medicine.

"Medication costs should be low, ... so that everyone can afford it," he said. He added: "those who are poor should be able to get all the necessary healthcare they need..."

Words in This Story

skip –v. to not do something that is expected

prefer –v. to like something better than something else

nursing home –n. a place where sick people or those who cannot take care of themselves go to live and be taken care of

disparity –n. a noticeable difference between two things

frustrating –adj. feeling angry or unsatisfied with something

afford –v. to be able to pay for something

1 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

2 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

3 frustrating   

adj.产生挫折的，使人沮丧的，令人泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的现在分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's frustrating to have to wait so long. 要等这么长时间，真令人懊恼。
• It was a demeaning and ultimately frustrating experience. 那是一次有失颜面并且令人沮丧至极的经历。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。

5 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

6 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

7 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

8 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。